The locking elements are conventionally a rotary latch fork, a pawl and a release lever. The outside opening handle acts on the release lever via the outside actuation rod and the actuation lever system so that the latch and hence the motor vehicle door lock are opened. Interlocking elements are usually provided in addition to the locking elements and actuation elements. In a motor vehicle door lock of this kind it is conventional to combine the locking elements and the interlocking lever system and the actuation lever system in a structural unit forming a function submodule. The outside opening handle can be constructed in the form of a flap-type handle disposed in a handle cup usually mounted on a base plate and forming an outside actuation submodule therewith. The outside actuation submodule can also comprise a lock cylinder.
The outside actuation submodule and the function submodule are usually arranged with vertical spacing in the installed state in a motor vehicle door. Thus the outside actuation rod acting between the outside actuation submodule and the function submodule is disposed substantially vertically in the door. Since in the course of assembly tolerances occur in the vertical direction, in one motor vehicle door lock known in practice a clamping device is used for the purpose of length compensation.
The clamping device is pivotally connected to an arm of the deflection lever connected to the handle cup. The outside actuation rod is pushed into the clamping device so as to be freely displaceable. When the motor vehicle door lock is inserted into the motor vehicle door, the fitter closes the clamping device and thus makes a rigid connection between the arm of the deflection lever and the outside actuation rod.
In a modern vehicle door lock it is also conventional for the outside actuation handle to be preassembled with the base plate and the door lock on a carrier plate which after its installation into the vehicle door separates the wet and dry areas. However, a problem which arises as a result is that the clamping device is practically no longer accessible from the exterior and it is no longer possible to obtain a satisfactory and simple tolerance compensation between the outside opening handle and the outside actuation rod in the course of assembly.
An outside actuation system for a motor vehicle door lock is also known which comprises a pull handle mounted to pivot by an end zone about a vertical pivot fixed to the door, the other end of the system being arranged for pivotal connection of an actuation rod f or a pivotable opening lever of the door lock. In order to avoid the need for assembly operations from the inside of the door, the opening lever is provided with a pivotable clamping seat for the actuation rod (cf. DE 44 43 969).